打完疫苗，該打美容針了？
Rachel King
2021-05-16
“多虧了新冠疫苗，許多人的正常生活開始恢復?！泵绹瓮饪漆t(yī)生協會的前主席艾倫·馬塔拉索博士說：“我們的一些外科醫(yī)生報告說，他們看到的需求甚至比新冠疫情爆發(fā)前還要高?！眻D片來源：Getty Images
隨著新冠肺炎疫苗在美國各地繼續(xù)推廣，哪怕不太可能在更大的范圍內實現群體免疫，人們也已經開始為今年夏天回歸線下會議（私人會議和專業(yè)會議都是如此）做準備。
“人們似乎都急于在重返辦公室之前做個醫(yī)美手術?！甭D第五大道Shafer診所的創(chuàng)始人、美國整形外科醫(yī)生協會的成員戴維·謝弗醫(yī)生說，“因為現在，要是周一做了隆胸手術，周二就可以返回Zoom辦公，沒有同事會知道。”
美國醫(yī)美行業(yè)的年增速為3.1%，2020年的市值預計將達到170億美元，全球將超過500億美元，預計到2026年，全球醫(yī)美行業(yè)的規(guī)模將達到670億美元。
皮膚美容明星專家保羅·賈羅德·弗蘭克醫(yī)生稱：“包括我自己在內的大多數整形醫(yī)生都正處在職業(yè)生涯中最繁忙的時刻，主要是因為人們在重返正常生活前，對醫(yī)美具有巨大需求?！彼小堆泳徦ダ鲜謨浴罚═he Pro-Aging Playbook）一書，也是《延緩衰老》播客（The Pro-Aging Podcast）的創(chuàng)始人。
“由于我們是服務行業(yè)，只能夠依靠自己的雙手，因此在面對巨大的需求量時，我們可以提供的服務卻是有限的?！?/p>
然而特別值得一提的是，微創(chuàng)或非侵入性的身體塑形療法，例如SmartLipo、BodyTite和Coolsculpting等，正在逐漸受到顧客的追捧。這些項目使用激光、射頻和電磁波來消除脂肪，不需要手術。在治療過程中能夠使用局部麻醉劑減輕不適，患者恢復速度更快，第二天就可以正?；顒?。
哈佛醫(yī)學院的整形外科副教授、整形外科醫(yī)生塞繆爾·林說：“隨著天氣變暖，人們從衣櫥里拿出了夏裝。和往年相比，過去幾周內，塑形術成為了最受歡迎的醫(yī)美手術之一?！?/p>
林醫(yī)生說，選擇塑形的大部分顧客都希望能夠收緊皮膚，獲得更“健美”的身材。
“那些在疫情期間保持積極生活方式的人，也可以通過塑形項目，去除頑固性脂肪沉積和因為減肥而產生的多余皮膚?！?/p>
美國整形外科醫(yī)生協會最近進行了一項調查，以了解美國人在疫情開始一年多以后對醫(yī)美手術的看法，包括他們最感興趣的療程、他們預訂醫(yī)美治療的可能性等。
“結果顯示，人們現在最關注的是身體整形，其中腹部塑形位居榜首，其次是抽脂術?！痹搮f會的前主席艾倫·馬塔拉索醫(yī)生說，“女性受訪者表示，隔離期間的體重變化是她們選擇這些項目的最主要原因。疫情之前，因為時間和費用問題，這些項目被一推再推。但現在，因為減少了在餐廳、旅游和其他休閑活動中的支出，她們攢了一年多的錢足夠為這些項目買單?！?/p>
在弗蘭克醫(yī)生的曼哈頓診所，最受歡迎的服務發(fā)生了一些變化。
“由于現在人們仍然有空閑時間，他們想做一些侵入性更強的手術，這些手術在疫情前做的話，他們是沒有時間來恢復的。”他解釋說，“因此，最近做腫脹吸脂的人很多，因為人們想看到大變化，也能夠接受更長的恢復時間。此外，新療法美修斯也非常受歡迎，它可以溶解脂肪，緊致腹部、臀部和大腿的皮膚，不需要任何恢復時間。建議療程是每周一次，每次30分鐘，持續(xù)四周，共計四次治療。”
位于曼哈頓西村社區(qū)附近的PFrankMD沙龍。圖片來源：Courtesy of PFrankMD
位于紐約市的朱瓦皮膚和激光中心創(chuàng)始人、皮膚科醫(yī)生布魯斯·卡茨博士說，市場需求達到了歷史最高——比往年至少高出25%至30%。他說，目前他最受歡迎的項目是減少脂肪團、減脂、緊致皮膚和增肌。其中包括QWO，首款用于治療臀部中度到重度脂肪團的注射療法，以及塑形療程美修斯（每次30分鐘，每療程持續(xù)幾周或幾個月)，通過使用射頻和高強度電磁場來減脂增肌。
“人們對塑形的需求非常大；顯然我的客戶已經準備走出家門，希望到時能夠看起來很完美，可以擁有不錯的心情?！笨ù尼t(yī)生說，“疫情期間人們坐著的時間更長了，但因為預想到要出門旅行，要在戶外花更多的時間，所以希望在夏天到來前讓身體為海灘做好準備。”
威廉·拉哈爾醫(yī)生是在比佛利山莊執(zhí)業(yè)的一名整形外科醫(yī)生，他把這種被壓抑的需求描述為“反思、忽視和實現”。
“在隔離期間，人們被迫待在家里，這給了他們自我反思的時間。”拉哈爾博士說。“人們意識到，一直以來都忽視了自己，忽視了‘自我時間’和自我關愛。目前疫苗接種正在持續(xù)推進，人們感受到了更大的安全感，終于準備好面對那一部分自己，做自己一直想做但一直在推遲的事情?！?/p>
如今——在夏天真正開始之前——不僅是接受門診治療的好時機，也是進行需要更多恢復時間的整形手術的好時機，這通常至少一到兩周。
“我們的大多數患者仍然在家工作，所以只要請幾天假就夠了。當然，這也取決于手術的情況?！崩柌┦空f，“旅行和餐飲仍然受到很大限制，所以恢復期不得不待在家里的‘失意’感完全不存在了。”
拉哈爾博士指出，Renuvion皮膚緊致術目前的需求也非常高。“對那些想做微創(chuàng)手術、恢復時間很短的患者來說，這是腹部整形術的絕佳替代之選。該項目將射頻能量和氦等離子體相結合，能夠最大限度地收緊皮膚組織，塑造繃緊和結實的外表。這是非常流行的一種產后手術，因為它可以消除疤痕?！?/p>
永久的影響
雖然夏季前醫(yī)美高峰的主要驅動因素是未來幾個月舉辦更多面對面會議，但通過Zoom和FaceTime進行視頻會議的影響也可能是永久的。
“我確實認為這種影響會持續(xù)。”拉哈爾博士在談及Zoom效應時說，“過去一年，我們花了比以往更多的時間和自己相處。我們已經從‘步履不?！男膽B(tài)中放慢了腳步，有更多的時間和能力去思考。無論是因為在Zoom上看到自己，從鏡子里看到自己，還是因為自我反思，很多人都決定要把對自己的關愛放在首位，要盡可能地關愛自己?！?/p>
卡茨醫(yī)生指出，在疫情封鎖期間，醫(yī)美行業(yè)沒有預想中的那么低迷，因為遠程醫(yī)療已經成為常態(tài)。他的診所打算繼續(xù)為患者提供遠程醫(yī)療預約服務，此外還將繼續(xù)遵守其他安全措施，比如要求工作人員戴口罩等。
“即使辦公室重新開放，人們仍然要頻繁使用Zoom召開虛擬會議，每天要繼續(xù)盯著屏幕上自己的臉。對那些想在鏡頭前和人群中展現自己最好形象的客戶來說，肉毒桿菌和填充仍然非常受歡迎?！笨ù尼t(yī)生說，“還有一些病人來進行‘微調’，選擇一些方便、高效、簡單又不需要恢復時間的項目，例如注射肉毒桿菌，因為他們已經預料到要重回辦公室，重返那種互動性、社交性更強的生活?！?/p>
“要讓人們了解，相對于自己所需的恢復時間，可以接受何種治療。”弗蘭克說，“現在大多數整容醫(yī)生都很忙，患者要平衡自己的時間和他們想約的醫(yī)生的時間，這一點很重要。”圖片來源：Courtesy of PFrankMD
在疫情期間，大多數醫(yī)美診所沒過多久就恢復營業(yè)了，因為針對零售業(yè)和辦公樓制定的衛(wèi)生措施，在醫(yī)療部門中早就是標配了。
“在私人整形診所里，不用做特殊安排就能夠確保社交距離，因為我們要維護病人的隱私。”謝弗醫(yī)生說，“幸運的是，當初我們在設計辦公室時，就為每個手術室安裝了獨立的通風系統(tǒng)，所以不存在跨房間的房間流通。”
此外，隨著醫(yī)學技術的進步，整容手術越來越便宜，也越來越安全。因此，醫(yī)療專業(yè)人士預測，整形手術的市場需求將在未來幾年繼續(xù)上升。
“因為人們要在線學習、在家工作，長時間坐在攝像頭前已經成為一種常態(tài)?！绷轴t(yī)生說，“在疫情期間，注射填充和肉毒桿菌一直是需求最高的項目。面部拉皮、頸部拉皮、眼瞼整形和鼻部整形等面部整形手術也越來越受歡迎。因為可以居家辦公，病人能夠有更長的手術恢復期，而這些手術在疫情前不請假是做不了的?！?/p>
考慮到夏天馬上到來，在此始終要強調一點——每個人都應該養(yǎng)成的最重要的習慣是涂抹防曬霜。對進行了面部醫(yī)美項目的顧客而言，林醫(yī)生建議應該待在背陰處，戴寬邊帽子。
“疫情全面改變了我們的生活文化?！崩柌┦空f，“很多改變都是永久的，我們的目標是確保員工安全，確?？蛻粼诿恳淮误w驗過程中都舒適自在?！保ㄘ敻恢形木W）
譯者：Agatha
隨著新冠肺炎疫苗在美國各地繼續(xù)推廣，哪怕不太可能在更大的范圍內實現群體免疫，人們也已經開始為今年夏天回歸線下會議（私人會議和專業(yè)會議都是如此）做準備。
“人們似乎都急于在重返辦公室之前做個醫(yī)美手術。”曼哈頓第五大道Shafer診所的創(chuàng)始人、美國整形外科醫(yī)生協會的成員戴維·謝弗醫(yī)生說，“因為現在，要是周一做了隆胸手術，周二就可以返回Zoom辦公，沒有同事會知道?！?/p>
美國醫(yī)美行業(yè)的年增速為3.1%，2020年的市值預計將達到170億美元，全球將超過500億美元，預計到2026年，全球醫(yī)美行業(yè)的規(guī)模將達到670億美元。
皮膚美容明星專家保羅·賈羅德·弗蘭克醫(yī)生稱：“包括我自己在內的大多數整形醫(yī)生都正處在職業(yè)生涯中最繁忙的時刻，主要是因為人們在重返正常生活前，對醫(yī)美具有巨大需求。”他著有《延緩衰老手冊》（The Pro-Aging Playbook）一書，也是《延緩衰老》播客（The Pro-Aging Podcast）的創(chuàng)始人。
“由于我們是服務行業(yè)，只能夠依靠自己的雙手，因此在面對巨大的需求量時，我們可以提供的服務卻是有限的?！?/p>
然而特別值得一提的是，微創(chuàng)或非侵入性的身體塑形療法，例如SmartLipo、BodyTite和Coolsculpting等，正在逐漸受到顧客的追捧。這些項目使用激光、射頻和電磁波來消除脂肪，不需要手術。在治療過程中能夠使用局部麻醉劑減輕不適，患者恢復速度更快，第二天就可以正常活動。
哈佛醫(yī)學院的整形外科副教授、整形外科醫(yī)生塞繆爾·林說：“隨著天氣變暖，人們從衣櫥里拿出了夏裝。和往年相比，過去幾周內，塑形術成為了最受歡迎的醫(yī)美手術之一。”
林醫(yī)生說，選擇塑形的大部分顧客都希望能夠收緊皮膚，獲得更“健美”的身材。
“那些在疫情期間保持積極生活方式的人，也可以通過塑形項目，去除頑固性脂肪沉積和因為減肥而產生的多余皮膚?！?/p>
美國整形外科醫(yī)生協會最近進行了一項調查，以了解美國人在疫情開始一年多以后對醫(yī)美手術的看法，包括他們最感興趣的療程、他們預訂醫(yī)美治療的可能性等。
“結果顯示，人們現在最關注的是身體整形，其中腹部塑形位居榜首，其次是抽脂術?！痹搮f會的前主席艾倫·馬塔拉索醫(yī)生說，“女性受訪者表示，隔離期間的體重變化是她們選擇這些項目的最主要原因。疫情之前，因為時間和費用問題，這些項目被一推再推。但現在，因為減少了在餐廳、旅游和其他休閑活動中的支出，她們攢了一年多的錢足夠為這些項目買單?！?/p>
在弗蘭克醫(yī)生的曼哈頓診所，最受歡迎的服務發(fā)生了一些變化。
“由于現在人們仍然有空閑時間，他們想做一些侵入性更強的手術，這些手術在疫情前做的話，他們是沒有時間來恢復的?！彼忉屨f，“因此，最近做腫脹吸脂的人很多，因為人們想看到大變化，也能夠接受更長的恢復時間。此外，新療法美修斯也非常受歡迎，它可以溶解脂肪，緊致腹部、臀部和大腿的皮膚，不需要任何恢復時間。建議療程是每周一次，每次30分鐘，持續(xù)四周，共計四次治療。”
位于紐約市的朱瓦皮膚和激光中心創(chuàng)始人、皮膚科醫(yī)生布魯斯·卡茨博士說，市場需求達到了歷史最高——比往年至少高出25%至30%。他說，目前他最受歡迎的項目是減少脂肪團、減脂、緊致皮膚和增肌。其中包括QWO，首款用于治療臀部中度到重度脂肪團的注射療法，以及塑形療程美修斯（每次30分鐘，每療程持續(xù)幾周或幾個月)，通過使用射頻和高強度電磁場來減脂增肌。
“人們對塑形的需求非常大；顯然我的客戶已經準備走出家門，希望到時能夠看起來很完美，可以擁有不錯的心情。”卡茨醫(yī)生說，“疫情期間人們坐著的時間更長了，但因為預想到要出門旅行，要在戶外花更多的時間，所以希望在夏天到來前讓身體為海灘做好準備?！?/p>
威廉·拉哈爾醫(yī)生是在比佛利山莊執(zhí)業(yè)的一名整形外科醫(yī)生，他把這種被壓抑的需求描述為“反思、忽視和實現”。
“在隔離期間，人們被迫待在家里，這給了他們自我反思的時間?！崩柌┦空f?！叭藗円庾R到，一直以來都忽視了自己，忽視了‘自我時間’和自我關愛。目前疫苗接種正在持續(xù)推進，人們感受到了更大的安全感，終于準備好面對那一部分自己，做自己一直想做但一直在推遲的事情?！?/p>
如今——在夏天真正開始之前——不僅是接受門診治療的好時機，也是進行需要更多恢復時間的整形手術的好時機，這通常至少一到兩周。
“我們的大多數患者仍然在家工作，所以只要請幾天假就夠了。當然，這也取決于手術的情況?！崩柌┦空f，“旅行和餐飲仍然受到很大限制，所以恢復期不得不待在家里的‘失意’感完全不存在了。”
拉哈爾博士指出，Renuvion皮膚緊致術目前的需求也非常高?！皩δ切┫胱鑫?chuàng)手術、恢復時間很短的患者來說，這是腹部整形術的絕佳替代之選。該項目將射頻能量和氦等離子體相結合，能夠最大限度地收緊皮膚組織，塑造繃緊和結實的外表。這是非常流行的一種產后手術，因為它可以消除疤痕?！?/p>
永久的影響
雖然夏季前醫(yī)美高峰的主要驅動因素是未來幾個月舉辦更多面對面會議，但通過Zoom和FaceTime進行視頻會議的影響也可能是永久的。
“我確實認為這種影響會持續(xù)?！崩柌┦吭谡劶癦oom效應時說，“過去一年，我們花了比以往更多的時間和自己相處。我們已經從‘步履不?！男膽B(tài)中放慢了腳步，有更多的時間和能力去思考。無論是因為在Zoom上看到自己，從鏡子里看到自己，還是因為自我反思，很多人都決定要把對自己的關愛放在首位，要盡可能地關愛自己?！?/p>
卡茨醫(yī)生指出，在疫情封鎖期間，醫(yī)美行業(yè)沒有預想中的那么低迷，因為遠程醫(yī)療已經成為常態(tài)。他的診所打算繼續(xù)為患者提供遠程醫(yī)療預約服務，此外還將繼續(xù)遵守其他安全措施，比如要求工作人員戴口罩等。
“即使辦公室重新開放，人們仍然要頻繁使用Zoom召開虛擬會議，每天要繼續(xù)盯著屏幕上自己的臉。對那些想在鏡頭前和人群中展現自己最好形象的客戶來說，肉毒桿菌和填充仍然非常受歡迎?！笨ù尼t(yī)生說，“還有一些病人來進行‘微調’，選擇一些方便、高效、簡單又不需要恢復時間的項目，例如注射肉毒桿菌，因為他們已經預料到要重回辦公室，重返那種互動性、社交性更強的生活?！?/p>
在疫情期間，大多數醫(yī)美診所沒過多久就恢復營業(yè)了，因為針對零售業(yè)和辦公樓制定的衛(wèi)生措施，在醫(yī)療部門中早就是標配了。
“在私人整形診所里，不用做特殊安排就能夠確保社交距離，因為我們要維護病人的隱私?！敝x弗醫(yī)生說，“幸運的是，當初我們在設計辦公室時，就為每個手術室安裝了獨立的通風系統(tǒng)，所以不存在跨房間的房間流通?！?/p>
此外，隨著醫(yī)學技術的進步，整容手術越來越便宜，也越來越安全。因此，醫(yī)療專業(yè)人士預測，整形手術的市場需求將在未來幾年繼續(xù)上升。
“因為人們要在線學習、在家工作，長時間坐在攝像頭前已經成為一種常態(tài)?！绷轴t(yī)生說，“在疫情期間，注射填充和肉毒桿菌一直是需求最高的項目。面部拉皮、頸部拉皮、眼瞼整形和鼻部整形等面部整形手術也越來越受歡迎。因為可以居家辦公，病人能夠有更長的手術恢復期，而這些手術在疫情前不請假是做不了的。”
考慮到夏天馬上到來，在此始終要強調一點——每個人都應該養(yǎng)成的最重要的習慣是涂抹防曬霜。對進行了面部醫(yī)美項目的顧客而言，林醫(yī)生建議應該待在背陰處，戴寬邊帽子。
“疫情全面改變了我們的生活文化?！崩柌┦空f，“很多改變都是永久的，我們的目標是確保員工安全，確?？蛻粼诿恳淮误w驗過程中都舒適自在。”（財富中文網）
譯者：Agatha
Clinics offering cosmetic services such as injectable facial fillers and body sculpting are already bracing for a rush on appointments this spring and summer. And this time, compared with the recent uptick in requests for treatments like Botox and Juvéderm, it’s not because of the so-called Zoom effect.
Rather, customers are preparing for the return of face-to-face meetings—both personal and professional—this summer as the COVID-19 vaccine rollout across the United States continues, even if achieving herd immunity across the greater population is unlikely.
“There seems to be a rush to have procedures before employers require people to start returning to work,” says Dr. David Shafer, founder of Manhattan-based practice Shafer Clinic Fifth Avenue and a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). “As it is now, patients can come in for a breast augmentation on Monday and be back on Zoom on Tuesday, and no one at work would know.”
Growing at a rate of 3.1% annually, the domestic plastic surgery industry was estimated to be worth $17 billion in 2020, and more than $50 billion internationally, with a projected global valuation of $67 billion by 2026.
"Most cosmetic physicians, including myself, are at the busiest points of our careers right now mostly because of the huge demand for people to get back to life," says Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank, a celebrity cosmetic dermatologist, author of The Pro-Aging Playbook, and creator of The Pro-Aging Podcast. "Since we are a service industry and only have our own hands, there is a huge demand and limited supply for how we work."
In particular, minimally or non-invasive body sculpting procedures—such as SmartLipo, BodyTite, and CoolSculpting—have been trending among prospective patients. These procedures use lasers, radio frequency, and electromagnetic waves to eliminate fat without having to undergo surgery. A topical numbing agent may be often applied to lessen discomfort, and patients heal faster and can return to daily activity the next day.
“With warmer weather, summer clothes are getting taken out of the wardrobe, and body contouring procedures have become one of the most sought-after cosmetic procedures in the past few weeks compared to normal years,” says Dr. Samuel Lin, a plastic surgeon and associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School.
A typical patient, Dr. Lin says, is someone who is looking to tighten their skin and achieve a more “fit” body. “Those who maintained an active lifestyle throughout the pandemic can also benefit from body contouring procedures to eliminate stubborn fat deposits and excess skin from weight loss.”
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons recently conducted a survey to get a sense of Americans’ perceptions of plastic surgery more than a year into the pandemic, including what treatments they are most interested in and how likely they were to book them. “Results show that body procedures are now the focus, with tummy tucks at the top of the list, followed by liposuction,” says Dr. Alan Matarasso, past president of the ASPS. “Women cited weight fluctuation during quarantine as the main driver for these choices. These are also treatments long put off due to time and cost pre-COVID. But now, with money saved for over a year due to limited access to spend on restaurants, travel, and other leisure expenditures, they have the money for these treatments.”
At Dr. Frank's clinics in Manhattan, the most popular services have shifted a bit, he says. "Since people still have downtime available they are looking to do the more invasive procedures more now than during pre-COVID life when they didn't have the time to recover," he expains. "Tumescent lipo is very common right now for that reason because people want to make big changes and will accept a bit of downtime. Additionally, the Emsculpt Neo, which is a new treatment that melts fat and tightens skin on the abs, butt, and thighs without any downtime, is very popular right now. It is recommended that you do one treatment for 30 minutes per week for four weeks for a total of four treatments."
Dr. Bruce Katz, a dermatologist and founder of the Juva Skin and Laser Center in New York City, says he has never seen demand this high before—at least 25% to 30% higher than in previous years. He notes that his most popular services at the moment are treatments that reduce cellulite, reduce or remove fat, tighten skin, and build muscle. These include QWO, the first injectable used to treat moderate to severe cellulite in the buttocks, and Emsculpt Neo, an in-office body shaping procedure (conducted in 30-minute sessions over the course of weeks and months) that uses radio frequency and high-intensity electromagnetic energies to both reduce fat and build muscle.
“The demand for body contouring treatments is huge; it’s very clear that my patients are ready to leave their homes and want to look and feel their best when they do,” Dr. Katz says. “Due to the pandemic, men and women are sitting more, [but] anticipating travel as well as spending increased time outdoors, so are looking to get their bodies beach ready before the summer.”
Dr. William Rahal, a plastic surgeon based in Beverly Hills, describes the pent-up demand as “reflection, neglection, and realization.”
“While in quarantine, people were forced to stay at home, and it gave them time to self-reflect,” Dr. Rahal says. “What people have been realizing is that they have been neglecting themselves, their ‘me time,’ and their self-care regimen. Now that the vaccine rollout is underway, people have a greater sense of security and are finally ready to engage with that part of themselves and do the things they’ve always wanted to do but had been pushing off.”
Right now—before summer really kicks off—is a great time to undergo not only outpatient treatments but also plastic surgeries that require more recovery time, usually at least one to two weeks. “A majority of our patients are still working from home, so they can get away with only taking a few days off, depending on the surgery, of course,” Dr. Rahal says. “Travel and dining are also still very limited, so that sense of ‘missing out’ from having to stay at home during recovery has been completely eliminated.”
Renuvion skin tightening is also in very high demand right now, Dr. Rahal notes. “It’s a great alternative to a tummy tuck for those patients looking for a less invasive procedure with minimal downtime. The procedure delivers a combination of radio frequency energy and helium plasma, which allows for maximum tissue contraction, resulting in a tightened and toned look. It’s a very popular procedure with women postpartum as it also helps with scarring.”
Permanent side effects
But even if the pre-summer rush hinges mostly on the plan (or at least hope) to have more meetings in real life in the next few months, the influence of videoconferencing over Zoom and FaceTime could be permanent.
“I do see this continuing,” Dr. Rahal says of the Zoom effect. “In the past year, we’ve spent more time with ourselves than ever before. We have slowed down from the ‘always on the go’ mentality and have had more time and capacity to think. Whether it be looking at ourselves on Zoom, in the mirror, or just self-reflecting in general, many people have decided that they want to prioritize self-care to the extent they’ve always wanted to.”
Dr. Katz notes that there wasn’t as much of a downturn as might have been expected during the lockdown because telemedicine was normalized. His clinic plans to continue to offer patients telemedicine appointments, among other safety protocols such as requiring staff members to wear face masks.
“Even with offices starting to reopen, people are still using Zoom frequently as they are taking virtual meetings and continuing to look at their faces staring back at them every day. Botox and fillers are still very popular treatments for our patients who want to look their best on camera and in person,” Dr. Katz says. “I am also seeing patients come in for ‘tweakments,’ quick, fast, and easy procedures like Botox with no downtime, as they are already anticipating having to go back to the office and lead a more public and more social life.”
Most cosmetic and plastic surgery clinics also didn’t take long to rebound because advanced safety and hygiene protocols that became commonplace during the pandemic in retail and office buildings are already commonplace in medical facilities. “In a private plastic surgery office, social distancing is almost automatic as we strive to maintain patients’ privacy,” Dr. Shafer says. “Fortunately, when we built the office, we installed separate ventilation systems for each exam room, so there is no exchange of air between the rooms.”
Additionally, cosmetic procedures are gradually becoming more affordable and continue to become safer with technological advances in medicine. For these reasons, medical professionals predict demand for plastic surgery procedures will continue to trend upwards in the coming years. “A shift towards online learning and working from home has resulted in sitting in front of a video camera as the norm,” Dr. Lin says. “Injectable fillers and Botox have been the most highly requested procedures throughout the pandemic. Cosmetic surgical facial procedures such as face lifts, neck lifts, blepharoplasties [eye lifts], and rhinoplasties have also increased in popularity. The advent of working from home has provided patients prolonged periods of downtime to recover from surgical procedures that otherwise could not have been done during pre-pandemic times without taking time off from work.”
And with summer in mind, it should always be stressed that the first habit everyone should practice is applying sunscreen. For facial procedures, Dr. Lin recommends staying in the shade and using wide-brimmed hats.
“The pandemic has overall changed the culture of how we live our lives,” Dr. Rahal says. “A lot of these changes will be made permanent, and our goal is to make sure our staff feels safe and our clients feel comfortable during each part of their experience.”
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